Apparatus for distilling bituminous substances



May 7, '1929. H. KOPPERS 1,712,083

APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING B`ITUMINOUS SUBSTANCES Filed sept. 29. 1922 4 sheets-sheet 1 i i 0 f. Il

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APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING BITUMINous suBsTANcEs Filed sept. 29. 1922 4 @weis-sheet s May'i, 1929. H KQPPERS 1,712,083

APPARATUS FOR DISTI'LLING BITUMINOUS SUBSTANCES Filed sept. 29. 1922 4 sheets-sheet 4 A 75 @.15 i 74' ,5f l

Patented May 7, 1929.

unirse STATES g '11,712,033 PATENT; ori-leaf HEINRICH KOPPERS, OF ESSEN-EUHR, y(zrlllRJllANY.

APPARATUS ron nIsTIL'LING BITUivLrNoUs sUBsrrANcEs.

Appnation filed september 29, 1922, serial No. 591,325', ami` in Great Britain Junezs; 1922.

My invention relates to a process of, and an apparatus for, distilling bituminous substances yin general land coking 'such sub-y stances at low temperature in particular. It is an improvement upon the process and the apparatus described and shown4` in pending application `Number 566,012, filed June 5, 1922, in which the distillation of bituminousy substances is carried through by mixing the material to be subject to the .distillation with previously heated solid` bodies (balls), and separating these latter Vfromy the cokelike residues. The present invention relates yes'- pecially to means having the' purpose of warrantiiig a continuous service and the directing idea of whichis as follows In a continuous process the samequantities of balls must, ofcourse, pass through at each place in the unit of time, corresponding to the continuityT equation, as otherwise the state of inertia would bewdisturbed. rIhis rule cannot be kept up in an exact manner at certain places, especially where, as in the distilling plant proper, the solid bodies are mixed with the material to be subjected to the distillation yprocess and the 'mixture is to be conveyed through said plant. The same is'true of the pre-drying drum and, finally, also of the heating stove for the cooled-down solid bodies. p y f New, in order to r`eest.blish the law of continuity, as far asattainable, regulating mechanisms are, according to this invention, arranged behind those working spaces, and become active after those working stages,

where a disturbance of the kind mentioned.

night occur, the objectof these mechanisms being to set in order the solid bodies arriving in the respective place or stagekvand to conduct them properly7 timed to the next place or stage. In this manner it is, in spite of the deviation from the exact fulfillment of vthe law in question, managedthat the working spaces contain at least in average that number of solid bodies upon which the carrying-through ofthe respective stage is based.

The stove for re-lieating the cooled-down solid bodies plays a particular rle in the just mentioned procedure in so far as, from practical. reasons, a larger quantity of the solid bodies must be treated `in it. It is,

thus, necessary to cover the entire base sur-Y The regulating device .which is 'to' be ar-v ranged at the inlet .side of the stove isin view of that purpose, so constructed that it distributes the solid bodiesto and into said parallel paths, whereas the deliver device which is located atthe delivery si e of the `stove,in frontof the distilling space, conducts the'solid bodies from said parallely of example. .f In these drawings n Figure 1 isa longitudinal section through the whole plant..v y i y Figure 2 is a cross section on line A-B of Figure 1.y I 'i Figure 3 is across section on line C--D of Figure 1. i .i f Figurel is a plan of thec'onducting channel 23,for the balls, also parts in connection therewith. f i f l igure 5 is a longitudinal section (toa larger' scale), showing the ball regulating deice34.`

Figure 6 isla planthereof. d Figure 7 is a `longitudinal section (to. a largerscale), showing ythe ball regulating device 35.

Figure 8 is a plan thereof. Y. Figure 9 is a vertical section thereof, crosswise tothe heating furnace.

Figure 10 is a vertical section of the ball discharging arrangement. v` v Figure 11 is a longitudinal section thereof.

Figure 12 isa detail of theelevator `,for i raising the balls.y

Figure 13 is a longitudinal section y'of a f the improvedprocess are rillustrated by way modified design'of the heating furnace kfor the balls. l f

y,Figure `14 is a cross section to Figure 13,

showing the ball regulating device appertaining thereto.

yF'gure 15 is a plan thereof. Referring to Figure 1,1 first state in general, toi give a survey,v as in theaboveanentionedv pending application, that the upper drumr 20 serves for the preheating andthe drying of the material to be subjected to distillation. The drum is fed with this mate# rial, as well as with the solidbodies, that,v is to say, with steel balls, through the hop- ,n per 29.' These balls, however, haveimade iio already their way through the lower drinn 26, and are, therefore, o nly still moderately warm. 2st is the stove for heating the balls. 26 is the distilling drum proper which is fed with the pre-heated and pre-dried material, as well as with the balls that have been heated in the stove 24. l

It is obvious, that it is necessary that the threeesscntial vparts of the plant,'na1nely the two drums and the heating furnace, are arranged in such relative position to cach other, that the complete plant offers the most favorable resultsl in regard to simplicity of the travelling path for the coal and the balls, as also in respect to heat economy. ln .order to obtain, onthe one hand for Vthe balls and on the other hand for the coal-which generally is to be taken as representing the fuelthe best conditions for their progress through the plant, the centre lines ofthe pre-heating drum, of the ball heating furnace and of 'the distilling drum, are arranged lparallel to Veach other and one above another in the vertical plane. VApart fronithe advantage gained by this compact arrangement,4 iu respect tov reduced heat radiation 'losses it is possible to' effect the 'travel of the coal, delivered by suitable apparatusninto the' charging funnel, and of the balls,lthrough the whole plant, "practicallyby the forces of gravitation, whereby it is yof aarticular importance, that the hea-ted coali'or balls do 'not come int-o contact with any sensitive apparatus.v

although the coal'is more diffcult to deal with than the balls, which lat-ter can be conducted to any desired I ing saine to roll along pipes 'or chutes, the suggested arrangement presents particularly favorable travelling conditions for the coal, as it can fall, on leaving the upper drum 20, which it had entered through the channel funnel 29, through the vertical tube 2l downward and is then Vconveyed by a short spiral conveyor 22, straight into the .lower parts of the manipulating drinn.l The treated coal passes from the lower drinn', through the grid portion,

into a hopper, Vto eventually leave the plant b v hopper wagons or other suitable means. The way the coal made to travel is therefore the shortest possible and is charac-terivied by the fact, that in Figure l it takes the shape .of a i which Yin the design is on the right.

lVhercas in the two drums tlieballs have to travel the same way as the coal, the balls on leaving the top drum and before entering the bottom drum, have" to pass through a heating furnace,` which also has the sameY length as the drums. It is therefore necessary to allow the balls to make a complete double run between the two drums toA the extent of their whole length, In Figurel the-upper half ofthe looprunway is formed spot by simplyY allow2V recumbent U, the: open side of by a channel path 23, whilst the lower half is formed by the heating furnace 2l, in this way enabling the heated balls to reach the inletend of the distilling drum by the shortest route. rlhe travel ofthe balls is characterized in that in Figure l the balls travel Y- from the right end of the plant through the upper revolving drum to the left end, then through the runway channel to the right end, 'then through the heating furnace 2st again to the left end and last of all through the distilling drum 26 once more to the right end of the plant to the outlet opening.

` This invention is, however, not confined to the design indicated in Figure l in that the heating furnace only embraces the bottoni loop of the ball race, on the contrary, according to requirements, the ball race may extend over a partof the upper loop, as shown in Figurel, where the heating furnace already starts at point 3l. lt is evident, that the heating of the balls will be all the'greater and more intensdthe more the heating furnace extendsalong the double loop of the ball race. rlhe furnace is provided with inlet openings 32 for theheating gases and with outlet openings for the products oicombustion. y

A further characteristic of this invention is the provision of several regulating de-A vices, which serve the purpose of causing the balls to travel the route just described, ina pre-determined and periodical s f nence. it is essi-intially icessary that the hal a nass through the 'whole plant in a uniform stream. ensure' the proper continuity of the woriring'of the plant, every one of the three4 sections of the plant, via the preheatipg' druni, the heating furnace and the l' Vlling drinn, must receive per-'time "il the same number of balls, as it deliil to the next following section. For this reason, at certain points of the ball race, namely in front of the upper drinn, in front and back of the heating furnace, regulating deifices are introdiu'ed, which `4e the olject of allowing only a certain fixed and adjustable number of balls topass per time unit. Each of these regulating devices has its own. special drive, adjustable as to its numb-er of revolutions. By means of al'f ations to the regulating devices and chance of the revolutions of the revolving drums, the travel of the balls can be varied as desired.

f. he regulating device arranged in front of the upper revolving drum, consists of a short spiralconveyor 2T, operated by gear 28, the speed of which determines the quantity of coal and the number of balls introduced.

The regulating device Figures and (i) for feeding the balls to the heatin furnace, isarranged at the lower end of the ICE vertical shaft or slot 36, which extends the whole width of the furnace and which for constructional considerations, is divided by a wall 47 into two compartments. The slide 37 is coupled by means of connecting rods 38 to the crank pin 40 of disc89. Upon the shafting revolving and with'it the crank dise 39, the slide 37 in'alres aA reciprocating inovenient. In the position shown in Figure 5, the slide obstructs to vthe balls, illing the slot 36, the passage to the heating fur nace; Upon the slide inoafing to the right,

the balls in slot 36 can descend for about' the thickness of one ball. Upon the reversal ofthe movement, the slide 37 will then push, with its front face, the bottoni row of balls into the furnace 24, in which they are rconL pelled to move along instra-ight lines, by nieans of the rail lilre projections 42. On

account of the subdivision of the plant by the division w ll`47, theV slides are in duplay cate. The balls lilling the slots 3G and also the slides serve as dainpers for the exclusion of the air.

In order to ensure the regulating devices being charged uniformly with balls, a dis tributing deviceV is arranged in front of it. Frein Figure 4 is to be seen, that the balls on leaving drinn 20, fall into a shoot 46 and are conducted-'frein there: by a channel r28, towardsthe right side of the plant. The duty of the `distributing device is now to distribute the balls, deliveredby channel v.23, upon ,an inclined plane, uniformly along the width of the furnace. With thisobjeet in view, a flat bar 44, is embedded*crosswise in the briclcwork forming the furnace top and is putl into a reciprocating motion by the crank gear 45. `The balls in passing over this flat bar 44, (see Figure e, left side) on being subjected to the jolting motion, are compelled to distribute themselves uniformly along the width of the furnace, en-

tering the track, formed by the rail like proscribed, another regulating" device will be required, for feeding the upper part of the furnace. This object is attained in a inanner, which does not'open` the furnaceto the atmosphere, the ba-llsbeing brought in rows to the inlet 81of the furnae, within an enclosed chamber. This regulating device consists of a slide 71, w ich is continually raised and lowered bythe crank discs 75, by means of the connecting rods 74. The slide is shown in Figure 18, in section, in the longitudinal direction of the furnace and in Figure 14 in elevation, crosswise tor the furnace. In the-position of the slide shown in Figure 18, the balls pass from the in- A secslide 71 which is inclined inwards.

ond slide72, arranged higher up, at that 1nonient `rests upon stops lined to thefurnace construction, the position then being such as to close the inlet opening 31 to the furnace. This second slide 72 is furnished withy a recess at the lower face, which is open down- 'row of balls, resting on slide 71.V lVhen the top of slide 71 hasgreached the level. of the floorv of ther inlet opening 31, the row of balls, brought upv by the slide, then run into the furnace. Also 1n this posit-ion of the slides, the interior of the furnace` 24 remains Vclosed to the atmosphere, as herethe two slides forma seal tothe inlet- 31. On the reversal of the nio'vnnenjt of slide. 71,- slide 72 travels4 with it for a portion of the way until it cornes to rest againupon the stops;

tween the furnace 24 andthe distilling drum .26, distinguishes itself frein the regulating device '84', in that itdoes not periodically allow a whole yrow of balls to pass forward, but the balls singly in uniform but shorter intervals. This is obtained in the following inanner:- ,e f

` The voutlet of the verticalshaft or slot 57, filled with balls, is alternately opened and closed by the operation of the slide 48 Figure 7).` rFhe slide 48 is, as seen in Fig ure 8, furnished with .fork like projections, the prongsiitting between the balls, prevent the next. row of balls, from passing down'- warcl. y The slide 48 is operated by crank discs 50 and rkconnecting rods 49. The'balls 52, released by the slide 48, do not, however,

at once passte the distilling drum, but first corne to rest upon a cross slide 51, Figure 9) on which they lie :is-in a storey `This cross slide 51 is furnished with an opening 58 and on its outer end with a tooth rack, into the latter of which tooth wheel 55 is geared. suitable means, alternately in either direction, causing the slidel to travel forwards and backwards thenecessary distance. Assuming inFigure 9, the tooth raclr and with it the opening 53 in slide 51 to travel to the right, the opening 53 will 'be passing in suecession under the row of balls 52, allowing these to fallv onto the inclinedy plane 5G. On the inclined planef, theballs run downwards and through the inlet opening j 58 lllheel 55 is inade to revolve, by"

into -tlie interior of the distilling drum 26. Also with this regulating device, the subdivision of the heating furnace has been taken into account, each ot its tivo divisions being served troni Within the Yfurnace by a kind ot overflow and 6l.

At the end of the revolving drum 26, the residue ot distillation is extracted do\vn- Wards, through the screen meshes 25 tornii ing the end of the drum, the balls continuing to run forward, falling into the cliainiei G2 Figure l0). The task ot removing the balls from the chamber surrounding the drum 2G, Without allowing the gases ot distillation to escape, is performed by the extractor Wheel 63. rl`his Wheel is provided with recesses, into which the ballls drop and on the Wheel revolving, the balls are delivered to the outlet shoot 6st. The Wheel at the lower half has a gastiglit iit to the casing Whilst the upper hall is under pressure ot a plate 'which is forced doivn- Wards by tlie spring 6G., ensuring that also that past the upper part ot the extractor Wheel G3, no gas can escape along 1viti the balls. The bali elevating apparatus 68 is furnished with iaclrets 69, provided in pairs, as shown in Figure l2, carrying the balls between them, one bracket on the right and one on the lett, thus allowing the brackets to pass on either side of the shoot 64, and automatically talring charge of the balls. On its upper end, the elevator (see Figure 3) deiivers the balls into shoot 70, which conduct-s them again to the charging tunnel 29. This closes the circuit of the travel ot' the balls.

l Wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details oi construction and configuration shown and described, ter obvious modifications will readily occur to a person skilled in the art.

l claim:-

l. An apparatus for maintaining the contlnuitj.7 ot the process ot distilliug bituminous substances in successive and timed stages with aid of heated tree solid bodies that are made to contact With the respective substance, coiiiprising in combination, a distilling drum, a sieve ar anged at one end of said drinn and adapted to separate said tree solid bodies from the residues of the distilling process; a rotary measuring member having recesses adapted to receive individually a. definite number only7 of said free solid bodies; nie-ans for con ducting the solid bodies to said rotary member :from said sieve; a. conveying device so arranged as to be adapted to receive the said solid bodies :trom the said rotary member and means 'for driving the said movable parts of the apparatus.

2. An apparatus for maintainingl the continuity of the process of distilling bituminous subsJ tances in successive and timed stages with aid of heated free solid bodies that are made to contact with the respective substance, comprising in combination, a distilling drum, said distilling drum having an end; a hea-ting stove, having parallelly located guide-ways for the solid bodies, said stove having entrance channels, a shaking distributing gutter arranger in front of the entrance clianneis to said stove and adapted to supply said solid bodies thereto; means aoaptcdto convey said solid bodies trom said stove to said drum; a sieve arranged at one of said drum ano adapted to separate said solid bodies Yfrom the residues of the distilling process; a rotary measuring inember having recesses adapted to receive individually adeiinite number only ot' said solid bodies; means for conducting the solid bodies to said rotary member from said sieve; a conveying device so arranged as to be adapted to receive the'said solid bodies Ytrom the said rotary member; and means for driving the said movable parts of the apparatus.

3. Aii apparatus for maintaining the continuity 'of the process ot' distilling bituminous substances in successive and timed ,stages With aid of heated free solid bodies that are made to Contact with the respective substance, comprising in combination, a distiiling drum; said dist-illing drum havin@ anl end; a heating stove, having` parallellf located guide-Ways for the free solid bodies' said steve having entrance channels; sliali ing distributing gutter arranged in front of the entrance channels to said stove and adapt-ed to supply said solid bodies thereto' means adapted to convey said solid bodies trein said stove to said drum; a periodically reciprocated slide at the inlets to said guide-- Ways; a sieve arranged at one `end of said drum and adapted to separate said solid bodies from the residues ofthe distlling process; a rotary measuring member having recessesadapted to receive individually a definite number only of said solid bodies; means for conducting the solid bodies to said rotary member from said sieve; a conveying device so arranged as to be adapted to re` ceive the said solid bodies from the said iotary member; and means for driving the said movable parts of the apparatus 1i. An apparatus for maintaining the conA tinuit'v of the process et distilliiig bituminous substances in successive and timed stages with aid oi" heated solid bodies that are made to contact with the respective substance, comprising in combination, a distilling drum; said distilling drum having an end; a heating stove, having pai'- ailelly located guide-Ways for the free solid bodies; said stove having entrance and having an end; a shaking die i gutter arranged in front of the entrance channels to said stove and adapted to supply ibuting CII solid bodies theretogya periodically reciprocated slide at the inlets to said guide-Ways;

another reeiprocated slide arrangedV at the one end ofthis drum and adaptedto separate said solid bodies from the residues of the distilling process;a rotary measuring member having recessesadaptedwto receive individually a deiinite number onlyof said solid bodies; means -tor conducting the solid bodies to said rotary member trom said sieve; a conveyingdevice so arranged as to be adapted to receive the saidvsolid bodies from the said rotarymemberg and means for driving the saidr movable parts oitthe apparatus. i

5. Apparatus tor heating and controlling the movement of free solid bodies comprising, in combination: a structure providing a heating cliainber,`said chamber having an inletrend and an outlet end and a downwardly sloping licor; means providing a plurality of parallel paths on said floor from said inlet to said outlet end of'said chamber; said structure providing` a vertically eX- tending channel at'the inlet end ot said chamber, said channel being adapted to con tain a plurality of rows of free solid bodies; means for supplying ,tree solid bodies to said vertically extending channel; means tor advancing a roW of said solid bodies -from saidr channel into said plurality of parallel paths; said structure providing a vertically extending channel at 'the outlet end ot said chamber, said channel being adapted to receivefree solid bodies from said plurality oi parallel paths and being adapted to contain a plurality of rorvs of such bodies; a bar mounted 'for movement in said second mentioned channel to permit discharge from said channel of one solid body at a time from a row oi. said free solid *bodies5 said bar being adapted to support a plurality oit rows oi' said bodies when at rest in said channel; and nieai'is tor engaging and holding` a roiv oit said solid bodies above a row o'lf said solid bodieson said bar when said bar is moved to discharge a roiv oi said solid bodies one body at a time.

6. Apparatus for distilling bituminous subr stances with the aid of heatedirec solid bodies that are made to malte Contact with the `substance being distilled7 in combination:

a drier; a distillation druni; heating' means for tree solid bodies therebetween communicating with said drier and said drum and means 'for conveying Ytree solid bodies trom the distillation drum to said drier.

7. Apparatus ttor distilling bituminous substancesivith the aid of heated free solid bodies that are made to make contact with the bituminous substances in combination: a rotatable drier; means for supplying bituminous substances-tosaid drier;l means for supplying treesohdbodies to said drier; a

distillation drum 5- meansforvsupplying bituminous substance` from saidy ,drier rto :said drum; "heatingmeansior saidsolid bodies between andv communicating with said drier and said drum; means torsupplying free solidbodies fromjsaid drier to said heating means; meanslfor supplying free solid bodies ltrom said heatmg-meansto said drum; vand .A means tor returmngfree solid bodies from said` drum to said drier supply means. i 8. Apparatus as claimed in claim l yand in lwhich the rotary measuring member has recesses adapted toreceive individually sin; gle` members only; oi. f iidsolid bodies.

9.`Apparatus as claimed in' claim 2 `andlin which thev rotary measuring memberl basrecesses adapted to receive individually single members only of said solid bodies.v

10. Apparatus as claimedin claim and in Which the rotary measuring member' has recesses adapted to receive'individually 'single members only ot said solid bodies.

ll. Apparatusfas claimed inclaim 4 and in Which the rotary measuring ymember has recesses adapted to receive individually single members only of said solid bodies.

12. In apparatus for maintaining the con-v tinuity of a process of distilling bituminous I substances in successive and timed stages With the aid of heated free solid bodies that are made to make Contact' with the respective substances, in combination: a drying drum; a heating stove; ar distilling drum; conveying means for conveying i'ree solid `bodies from said dryingdrum to said stove;

a controlling device tor controlling move ment et said solid bodies along said conveying means; a second conveying means for conveying said solid bodies from said stove to said distilling drum; a second controlling device Jfor controlling movement of said solid .bodies along said second conveying means; a third conveji' g means for coni'f'eyingsaid solid bodies trom said distilling drum to saiddrving drum; and a third `con` trolling device .tor controlling movement of said solid bodies along sai d third conve-ying means; substantially as specified.

13. In apparatus for maintaining the continuityoi a yprocess oit distilling bituminous substances in successive and timed stages with the aid of heated free solid bodies that are made to make contact with 'the respective substances, vin combination: a drying drum; a heating stove; la distilling drum;r yconveyingi means fory conveying free solid bodies from said drying drum to saidl stove; a controlling device vtor controlling `movement ot said solid bodies along said controlling device for controlling movement of said `solid bodies along said second conveying means.; a third conveying means for conveying said solid bodies from said distilling drunrto said drying drum; and a third conw 'troll-ing device for controlling movement of said solid bodies along said third conveying means; the three said conveying means being constructed so as to substantially allow prevention of air How therealong into said stove andinto said distilling drum, While simultaneously allowing movement ofl'said solid bodies therealong; substantially as specified.

14. In apparatus for maintaining the continuity ofia process of distilling bituminous substances in successive and timed stages with the aid oi heated free solid bodies that are made tofmale contact With the substances to be treated, in combination: a distilling: drum; a drying drum; a heating stove; said stove comprising a plurality of substantially parallel conduits; a conveying means for conveyingfree solid bodies from distilling drum to said drying drum; a controlling device for controlling movement of said solid bodies along said conveying means; a second conveying means for conveying said solid bodies from said drying drum to said stove; a second controlling` device fer-controlling movement of said solid bodies along said second conveying means; a third conveying means for conveying said solid bodies :from said stove to said distilling drum; a third controlling device 'ior controlling movement of said solid vbodies along said third conveying means; said second controlling device being adapted to distribute a plurality oi the solid bodies simultaneously to said parallel conduits; and said third controlling device being adapted to deliver the solid bodies from said third conveying meansvsuccessively and singly into the distilling drum; substantially as specitied.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

HEINRICH KOPPERS. 

